It's okay if you aren't ready now. But you may
want to quit at some point. So keep learning and preparing yourself. Many
smokers do quit. You can too.

Why do you want to quit?

Think about why you want to quit. Maybe you want to protect your heart and
your health and live longer. Or maybe you want to be a good role model for your
kids or spend your money on something besides cigarettes. Your reason for
wanting to change is important. If your reason comes from you—and not someone
else—it will be easier for you to try to quit for good.

How can you quit?

Quitting smoking is hard. Some people who have quit say that it was the hardest thing they have ever done. But most smokers eventually are able to quit smoking. And you don't have to do it alone. Ask your family, friends, and doctor to help you. Get what you need to help you quit for good.

Get ready. If you're ready to quit right
now, go ahead. Medicines and support can help you stay on track. But if you
want to plan ahead, you don't have to stop right away. Set a date to quit. Pick
a time when you won't have a lot of stress in your life. Think about cutting down on smoking before your quit date. Get rid of ashtrays,
lighters, or spit cups before you quit. Talk to your partner or friends about helping you stay smoke-free. Don't let people smoke in your
house.

Change your routine. For example, if you
smoke after eating, take a walk instead.

Use medicine. It can help with cravings and stress, and it doubles your chances of quitting smoking.footnote 1 You can buy nicotine gum, lozenges, or patches without a
prescription. Your doctor may also prescribe
medicine, such as bupropion (Zyban) or varenicline (Chantix).

Get support. Seek help from:

The national tobacco quitline:
1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669).

Free smartphone, tablet, or handheld computer apps, such as the National Cancer Institute's QuitPal.

Internet programs, such as www.smokefree.gov, which also have chat rooms.

Doctors, nurses, or therapists for counseling.

A friend who has quit smoking.

After you quit, try not to smoke at all—not even one
puff. Prevent a slip (smoking one or two cigarettes) or relapse (returning to
regular smoking) by avoiding smoking triggers, at least at first. These
triggers can include friends who smoke, alcohol, and stress. Don't keep cigarettes in your house or
car. If you do slip, stay calm. Remind yourself that you have a
plan, and think about how hard you've worked to quit for good.

Why is it so hard to quit?

Quitting is hard because
your body depends on the nicotine in tobacco. Giving it up is more than
just kicking a bad habit. Your body has to stop
craving the nicotine. Nicotine gum, lozenges, patches,
and other medicines can help reduce the cravings without the harmful effects of
smoking.

You also have to change
your habits. You may not even think about smoking. You just do it. You may not realize it, but seeing someone smoke—or just seeing cigarettes—may cause you to want to smoke. You may smoke when you drink alcohol or when you are stressed. Or maybe you have a cigarette
with coffee. Before you quit, think of new ways to handle these things. For
example, call a friend or practice deep breathing when you feel stressed. Try
chewing sugarless gum instead of smoking. Go for a walk when you have a break
at work. When you first start your quit, it's okay to stay around nonsmokers. And it's okay to avoid situations where you may be tempted to smoke (like occasions where alcohol will be served) until you feel more confident about staying smoke-free.

What if you feel bad when you are trying to quit?

You are likely to crave cigarettes and to have withdrawal symptoms. You may feel grouchy or restless or you may have a hard time concentrating
for the first 2 to 3 weeks after you quit. It may be hard to focus on tasks.
Or you may have trouble sleeping and want to eat more. But you won't feel bad
forever, and medicine can help. Using medicines and products like nicotine gum
or patches can help with cravings and make it easier to resist smoking.

Will you gain weight?

You may worry about gaining
weight after you stop smoking. This is understandable. In fact, many smokers do gain weight during their quit attempt. In your plan to quit smoking, include eating healthy snacks and doing some physical activity to help you avoid weight gain during your quit.

If you do gain weight, you can focus on losing it after you have successfully quit smoking. Be patient with yourself and try to tackle one change at a time.

You can take steps to
lower your chance of gaining weight:

Try to be active. Exercise can also improve
your mood and reduce your craving for a cigarette.

If you haven't been getting much exercise, start walking every day, gradually increasing how far you walk. Or take a beginning yoga class.

If you are already active, see about joining others for a sport you enjoy, such as biking, hiking, or playing volleyball.

Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and eat fewer high-fat foods. Cutting back on food (dieting) can make quitting smoking harder.

Try not to substitute food for cigarettes. Instead, chew on a
drinking straw or a coffee stirrer.

Use quit-smoking medicines or nicotine replacement. They may make gaining weight less likely while you are quitting smoking.

What if you start smoking again?

Most people quit
and restart many times before they stop smoking for
good. If you start smoking again after you quit,
don't give up. If you return to smoking, but smoke less than before, try to keep your smoking at that lower level so it will be easier to quit in the future. Also, if you are ready to try to quit again soon, do so. You do not need to wait to try again. Each time you quit, even if it is just for a short time, you get
closer to your long-term goal.

Remind yourself that by quitting
you may avoid serious health problems and live longer. Remember your reasons
for quitting. Maybe you want to protect your heart and your health and live
longer.

Each time you quit, you learn more about what helps and
what gets in the way. Think about why you started smoking again and about what you will do differently next time. If you tried to quit without medicines or counseling,
think about trying them next time. If you did use a medicine and counseling, think about trying a different type next time. Medicines and nicotine replacement (gum,
patches, lozenges) can double your chances of
success.footnote 1 And using medicines and counseling is even more effective. You can do it!

For parents: Why children and teens smoke

Many
children and teens use cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco because their
friends do. Movies and TV shows can make smoking seem attractive.
Teens, especially girls, often use smoking to try to control their
weight.

Teens may think that smoking is a way to look more mature,
independent, and self-confident to their peers. They may smoke to rebel against
their parents. But most teens do not know how addictive cigarettes are. If your child smokes, it might help to talk with him or her
about some of the
reasons to stop smoking. If you smoke or have quit,
talk with your teen about how you regret starting and how hard it can be to quit.

You may not think so, but children and teens are influenced by their parents. They are especially likely to smoke if their
parents smoke. And they are more likely to quit if their parents quit. And if your child never smokes during the teen years, he or she is less likely to start smoking in the future.

Know the risks of smoking

What worries you about
smoking? Make a list. Talk about it with your doctor. You may worry about:

Health problems. Are you out of breath when
you walk up the stairs? Are
asthma symptoms getting worse? Are you coughing a lot?

Long-term health risks. Are you afraid of having a
heart attack or
stroke? How about lung disease or cancer?

Risks to others. Do you worry about family members getting lung
cancer and heart disease? Are you afraid that your children might start smoking
because you do? Are you concerned that your baby may die of
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) if you smoke? Maybe your children have frequent ear infections or
asthma.

Did you know that most all of the health risks of smoking go away if you quit?

One Man's Story:

It was throat pain that helped
Nate give up smoking for good. Dealing with a sore throat all the time just
wasn't worth it anymore. "In the end, I made up my mind and quit."-Nate, 27

It would be easier for you to
quit if those around you didn't smoke. Discuss quitting together. If this isn't an option, talk to the
person(s) about not smoking around you and about not leaving their cigarettes in places where you might see them. When you can, avoid places where others are smoking.

Alcohol

If you enjoy smoking when you drink alcohol, you may need to cut down or give up alcohol when you quit smoking, at least for a while.

Stress

Stress can lead to smoking, but smoking doesn't really make stress go away.
To control stress, learn what
causes your stress and how to change the way you react. For suggestions, see the topic
Stress Management.

Assess your tobacco use(What is a PDF document?) to discover your smoking triggers. For some people,
morning coffee and going out with friends are common
smoking triggers.

Drinking coffee.
Change the way you have coffee: the place, the coffee mug, everything that you
did when you were smoking. Or if just drinking coffee makes you want to smoke, try taking a walk during coffee breaks instead.

Going out with friends. If drinking makes you want to smoke, see about going to a movie rather than going out for
drinks.

Teen issues, such as fitting in
with the crowd and dealing with stress

Healthier skin, cleaner teeth, and being seen as more attractive to others are just a few
reasons for teens to quit smoking. Quitting can help student athletes perform their best at their sport. Teens who are smoke-free have an easier time being active. And being physically active can help
you deal with stress in healthier ways than by smoking.

Quitting smoking when you have other health problems

If you
have depression or
anxiety, talk to your doctor before you quit smoking. He or she may have helpful ideas on which medicines may work best for you to quit smoking.

Smoking can also affect the level of certain medicines in your
blood. If you take medicines for a health problem, talk with your doctor before
you quit smoking to see whether you should change the dose of any of your
medicines.

Planning Your Strategy to Quit

Learn what works for you.

When it comes to
quitting smoking, some people find it helpful to plan ahead. Others don't. Do
what works for you. If you are ready to quit right now,
see the section
Ready to Quit Today?

If you prefer to
plan ahead, start by asking yourself some questions. Are you a goal-setter? How
confident do you feel that you will succeed at giving up smoking? Asking
yourself these questions is one way to prepare yourself for quitting.

Know your reasons

Your reason for wanting to
quit is important. Maybe you want to protect your heart and your health and
live longer. Or maybe you want to spend your money on something besides
cigarettes. If your reason comes from you—and not someone else—it will be
easier for you to try to quit for good.

After you know
your reasons for wanting to quit, use the U.S. Surgeon General's five keys to
quitting: get ready, get support, learn new skills and behaviors, get and use
medicine, and be prepared for relapse.

1. Get ready

Contact your doctor or local health
department to learn about medicines and to find out what kinds of help are
available in your area for people who want to quit smoking. Telephone helplines operated by your state can also help you find information and support for
quitting smoking.

Check with your insurance provider to find out
if medicines and counseling are covered under your health plan. Your employer
may also help pay the cost of a quit-smoking program or provide help to pay for
medicines, even
over-the-counter ones.

Free smartphone and tablet apps may be another helpful way to plan your quit. Apps such as the National Cancer Institute's QuitPal can help you set goals, track your progress, and share your struggles and successes with family and friends. QuitPal can also support you with text reminders.

Here are some
other ways to get ready to quit smoking:

Set your goals. To achieve a long-term goal like
quitting smoking, you may find it helpful to break the task into smaller goals.
Every time you reach a goal, you feel a sense of pride along the path to
becoming tobacco-free. A
personal action plan(What is a PDF document?) can help you reach your goals.

Set your goals clearly. Write down your goals, or tell
someone what you are trying to do. Goals should include "by when" or "how long"
as well as "what." For example: "I will track my smoking for 1 week,
starting tomorrow." Or "I will cut back from 20 cigarettes a day to 15 by this time next week."

Set a quit date, and stick to it. This is an
important step. Choosing a good time to quit can greatly improve your chances of success. Avoid setting your
quit date on high-stress days, such as holidays.

Reward yourself
for meeting your goals. Quitting smoking is a difficult process, and each small
success deserves credit. If you don't meet a goal, don't punish yourself.
Instead, hold back on a reward until you achieve your goal. For example, give
yourself something special if you succeed.

Pace yourself. You may want or need to quit slowly by reducing the number of cigarettes you smoke each day over
the course of several weeks. Set a comfortable pace. Certain
activities won't be temptation-free for many months after you
quit.

Be realistic. You may feel very excited and positive about
your plan for change. Be sure to set realistic goals—including a timeline for
quitting—that you can meet. For example, your goal could be to cut back from 20
cigarettes a day to 10.

Make some changes. Get rid of all cigarettes, ashtrays, and
lighters after your last cigarette. Throw away pipes or cans of snuff. Also,
get rid of the smell of smoke and other reminders of smoking by cleaning your
clothes and your house, including curtains, upholstery, and walls. Don't let
people smoke in your home. Take the lighter out of your car. Try some
methods to reduce smoking, such as gradually increasing the time between cigarettes, before your official quit
date. A smoking tracker can help you keep track of what
triggers urge you to use tobacco. This gives you
important information on when it's toughest for you to resist.

If you have tried to quit in the past, review those past attempts. Think of the three most important things that helped in those attempts, and
plan to use those strategies again this time. Think of things that hindered
your success, and plan ways to deal with or avoid them. Write this down as a plan.

2. Get support

You will have a better chance of quitting successfully
if you have help and support from your family, friends, and coworkers.
Others sources of support include:

Your doctor. He or she can help you put together a plan of medicines and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) that works for you. This could be Chantix or the nicotine patch, or maybe the nicotine patch along with gum for those times you need something more.

Phone support (1-800-QUIT NOW). Telephone counselors can help you with practical ideas. Often they are people who have quit smoking themselves.

Social networking. Many smartphone or tablet quit-smoking apps allow you to share your progress with your friends and family. This is a way you can get the extra support and encouragement you need when you're having a hard time or when you want to celebrate a new smoke-free milestone.

Talk to a friend who used to smoke, and ask him or her to be a support person you can call when the going gets rough.

Try a quit smoking program on the Internet. These often have chat rooms. People who use telephone, group, one-on-one, or Internet
counseling are much more likely to stop smoking than people who try to quit on their own.

3. Learn new skills and behaviors

Since you won't
be smoking, decide what you are going to do instead. Make a plan to:

Identify and think about ways you can avoid
those things that make you reach for a cigarette (smoking triggers),
at least at first. Try to change your
smoking habits and rituals.
Think about situations in which you will be at greatest risk for smoking. Make
a plan for how you will deal with each situation.

Change your daily
routine. Take a different route to work, or eat a meal in a different place.
Every day, do something that you enjoy.

Cut down on stress. Calm
yourself or release tension by reading a book, taking a hot bath, or digging in
your garden. See the topic
Stress Management for ways to reduce stress in your
life.

Spend time with nonsmokers and people who have stopped
smoking.

Start seeing yourself as a person who is making healthy choices.

4. Get and use medicine

The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has approved several medicines to help people quit
smoking. You will double your chances of quitting even
if medicine is the only treatment you use to quit. Your odds get even better
when you combine medicine and other quit strategies, such as
counseling.footnote 1

You won't have to take
medicines forever—just for as long as it takes to help you quit. Your employer
or health plan may help pay the cost of a quit-smoking program or provide help
to pay for medicines. And remember that no matter how much it costs to buy
medicines to help you stop smoking, it's still less than the
cost of smoking.

Remember, taking
medicines and using telephone or in-person counseling or a quit-smoking program
at the same time greatly increases your chances of success.

5. Be prepared for relapse

Most people are not
successful the first few times they try to quit smoking. If you start smoking
again, don't feel bad about yourself. A slip or relapse is just a sign that you
need to change your approach to quitting.

A slip of just one or two cigarettes can lead back to regular smoking, but many smokers can get back to not smoking by changing their plan. For example, they may add counseling or a medicine. Or they may talk to a friend who used to smoke. Make a list of things you learned. And think about when you want to try again, such as next week, next month, or
next spring. Or you don't have to wait. If you're still motivated to quit, you
can try again as soon as you want.

You might get some ideas for
things you can do differently by looking at "Prepare for roadblocks"
in the
Thinking About Quitting? section. Maybe you can try something
new next time, such as a new medicine or type of counseling. You might try combining
tools, such as counseling and medicine. Keep trying, and don't be fooled into
thinking that smoking "light" cigarettes will help. They do not make smoking
safer.

If you slip

If you slip or smoke a little, don't give up. Talk to someone who has quit smoking, or to a counselor, to get ideas of what to do. If you are taking medicine or using nicotine replacement, keep doing so unless you go back to regular smoking.

Quitting smoking is hard, but it
can be done. To stay motivated, keep reminding yourself why you want to quit
smoking. Make a list of your reasons to quit and the benefits you expect from
quitting. Put your list of reasons on your bedroom dresser, in your wallet, or
on the refrigerator. Review it whenever you are struggling with the quitting
process. Add to your list whenever another reason or benefit occurs to you.

If you have tried to quit smoking before, remember that most people try
to quit many times before they are successful. Don't give up.

One Woman's Story:

Nancy hit upon a key that
helped her quit for good. "Finally what woke me up—after 3 years of failure—was
the realization of what happened when I relapsed. ... I quit drinking not
because alcohol scares me, but because when I drink, I want to smoke."-Nancy, 54

Ready to Quit Today?

Congratulations! You are
taking a big step. You are ready to quit today. It's exciting. But it can also
be scary. If you're not quite ready yet, but you think
you will be soon, see the section
Thinking About Quitting?

If you've been
planning to quit, you may already know that when you stop smoking, you may not
feel so great at first. Some people feel grouchy and have cravings. The good news is that these things are at their worst in the first 2
to 3 days. They can last 2 to 3 weeks after you quit, or maybe longer. And there are things that can help.

If you
decided to quit today but haven't planned ahead, don't
worry. Here are some things to consider to help you succeed:

Use medicine

Using nicotine replacement products
and/or medicine doubles your chances of
quitting.footnote 1 When you quit
smoking, your body craves the nicotine that it was used to getting when you
smoked. But the nicotine isn't the harmful part of smoking or chewing. It's all
the other things in tobacco that are bad for you, such as tar and carbon monoxide. Nicotine from medicine is absorbed so slowly and at such low levels that it is rarely addictive.

Nicotine replacement products can help with cravings
and withdrawal.

Other medicines that can help are
bupropion (Zyban) and
varenicline (Chantix).

Get support

Support can
help you through the stress of losing this part of your life. Your doctor can prescribe medicines that can get you through withdrawal. And he or she can help you plan the best way to use nicotine replacement products and can refer you to counseling programs. Friends and
family (especially those who used to smoke) can provide shoulders to lean on, and they can encourage you to stay
smoke-free. They can help distract you when you want to smoke, and they can
understand when you're a bit grouchy.

People who use telephone, group, one-on-one, or Internet
counseling are much more likely to stop smoking. Experienced counselors have practical ideas that can help you succeed. Here
are some ways to get support:

National tobacco quitline: 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669)

Counseling from a doctor, nurse, or therapist

Stop-smoking programs, such as the American Lung Association's
Freedom from Smoking program (www.lungusa.org). In
these programs you can:

Get help deciding which medicines may be
right for you.

Use message boards, live chat, and email
to talk with counselors and people who have also quit.

Make a plan

If you quit
today but haven't planned ahead, now is a good time to plan your quit strategy.
Think of problems or barriers you have faced. And think of ways to reward
yourself for reaching specific milestones. Write out your
personal action plan(What is a PDF document?).

Know your reason

You are taking
an important step to improve your life. Make sure that you know your reasons
for quitting smoking. The most common reason to quit is to live longer. It's a
gift you can give yourself and your family.

Dealing With Relapse

If you slip or smoke a little, don't give up. Talk to someone who has quit smoking, or to a counselor, to get ideas of what to do. A slip can quickly turn into regular smoking, so it's important to do something different soon. If you are taking medicine or using nicotine replacement, keep doing so unless you go back to regular smoking. And consider adding a new treatment, like one-on-one counseling.

You're not alone in going back
to smoking. Most people who quit try many times before they quit for
good.

Don't feel bad about yourself. A
relapse is just a sign that you need to try a different approach to quitting
smoking. If you tried to quit without medicines or a program, think about
trying them next time. Medicines and nicotine replacement (gum, patches,
lozenges) can double your chances of success.footnote 1 And using medicines and counseling is even more effective.

Think about what made you start smoking again.
Maybe you couldn't handle the cravings. Or maybe you didn't have enough support
from family or friends. Maybe something stressful happened that triggered the
urge to smoke, and then you couldn't stop.

Staying Smoke-Free

To quit smoking, you have to learn how to deal with your cravings and temptations to smoke. But staying smoke-free involves learning how to think and act like a nonsmoker.

Many people who are able to make it through those first tough weeks without smoking run into trouble about 3 to 4 weeks after they quit. Surprisingly, this is just about the time when physical cravings have stopped. And yet—people often go back to smoking. Why does this happen? Some researchers found that staying smoke-free may depend on how well someone has been able to start seeing himself or herself as a nonsmoker.footnote 3 To help you start seeing yourself as a nonsmoker, think about hanging out with other nonsmokers, starting a healthy behavior such as going to an exercise class or a healthy-cooking class, or trying any other activity that is not compatible with thinking of yourself as a smoker.

Tips to deal with cravings in the first few weeks

Many of the changes you feel when
you first quit smoking don't feel good.
Nicotine withdrawal can
make you feel grouchy, hungry, and nervous. You may have trouble sleeping or
concentrating. These symptoms can last for a few days to several weeks. But
they do go away, especially if you take medicine. You may struggle with
changing your
smoking habits and rituals. This is a lot to deal
with, but keep at it. You will feel better.

After you quit, don't smoke at
all—not even one puff. Prevent a slip (smoking one or two cigarettes) or
relapse (returning to regular smoking) by avoiding smoking triggers, such as
alcohol and stress. Don't keep cigarettes in your house or car. If you do slip
or relapse, stay calm. Remind yourself that you have a plan, and think about
how hard you've worked to quit for good.

Tips to stay smoke-free over time

To stay smoke-free, you will have to make it past a second big challenge. This will come about 3 to 4 weeks after you quit, when you notice that your physical cravings are almost gone. Making it past this second big challenge will depend on how well you have been able to start thinking and acting like a nonsmoker. You will be able to enjoy and value a smoke-free lifestyle when you:footnote 3

Realize from your experiences that you are able to cope with stresses without smoking.

Face situations where you used to smoke and no longer feel like you need to smoke.

Find other ways to do things that you used smoking to help you do in the past.

Why Quit?

If you're reading this, you may be
thinking about quitting smoking or making a plan to quit. Or maybe you have
already tried to quit a few times. You probably already know that smoking is
bad for your health and that quitting will reduce your risk of getting a
disease related to smoking, such as heart or lung disease.

If you continue to smoke, there is a 1 out of 2 chance that you will die earlier because of smoking. Smokers, on average, die 13 to 14 years sooner than people like them who are not smokers.footnote 4 If you quit, most of your risk for having a heart attack or getting cancer goes away. The sooner you quit, the more you reduce your risks.

Everyone who uses tobacco would benefit from quitting. When you quit
smoking—no matter how old you are—you will decrease your risk of:

Pregnancy problems.
Women who smoke during pregnancy have a higher risk of having their babies early and having babies that have a low birth weight.

One Woman's Story:

Nancy was working as a nurse
and was exposed to someone who had a bad case of pneumonia. As a precaution,
Nancy was checked for pneumonia. The X-ray revealed that she didn't have
pneumonia—but her lungs did show early signs of emphysema. "It scared the
daylights out of me. ... I really made myself focus on the future of my life. I
want to be skiing when I'm 70. I don't want an oxygen tank."-Nancy, 54

In addition to reducing your risk of diseases in the
future, you will notice some benefits right away after you stop smoking. Your
shortness of breath, energy, and asthma symptoms will likely get better within the first
2 to 4 weeks after you quit. (But don't be surprised if you cough more in the
first week after you quit, as your lungs try to clear themselves.)

For teens: Why quit now?

If you are a teen and you smoke, chew tobacco, or use snuff, you
probably already know that tobacco is bad for you. If you are like most teens,
you intend to quit at some point, but you may not feel it's very important to
quit now. But the longer you use tobacco, the greater your risk for becoming
addicted to it. After you're hooked, it's even harder to quit.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (2010). You Can Control Your Weight as You Quit Smoking (NIH Publication No. 03-4159). Bethesda, MD: Weight-Control Information Network. Also available online: http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/smoking.htm.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2010). Cardiovascular diseases. In How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General, chap. 6. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Also available online: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/tobaccosmoke/report/index.html.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2009). Counseling and interventions to prevent tobacco use and tobacco-caused disease in adults and pregnant women: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reaffirmation recommendation statement. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Available online: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspstbac2.htm.

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How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.